A piece of my mind

CHAPTER 5

NATALIE

Mom arrived at the apartment nearly nine o'clock in the evening. We talked about what happened in school.
I even talked to her about Brandon, at first she tried to dismiss the topic but as soon as I said that I saw him, mom decided to listen. She said it is impossible to see him anymore because he's dead and most especially he's not my age. That's the only information she ever gave me, she wouldn't answer why I kept dreaming about him. So what does that mean? Am I seeing a ghost?

I had another episode last night, this time I saw Brandon with his son and I bet the other girl is his wife. I dreamt about me crying that Brandon chase me down a deserted hallway, and I lost him. I felt my own heart break again like it's really me.

By the morning mom drop me off to school and went straight to work, but before leaving she lectures me about not to cut classes any more even if I'm in college it can affect my records. She really wants me to have a good future, and I understand her for that. It's not so hard to do it though because mom never sets me any standards. She just wanted me to be in my best behavior and I know that it's for my sake.

Here I am at the café, my class ended earlier than usual because Dr. Albert my Physics Instructor isn't around. Scanning the book pages as I search for the topics that I want to read in advance. The café's atmosphere is so peaceful and quiet, plus the glass windows just help in giving a nice lightning inside.

I was busy in reading when a shadow looms over me. Hoping to myself that it's not Brandon, I just can't deal with him right now. I slowly look up to see who might that be and to my relief it is a girl with a brunette hair  and a pair of lovely brown eyes with a kind smile in here face. She's holding a coffee on her left hand and a bunch of shopping bags on the other.

"Is this seat taken?" she asks, her voice is so soft and she has an accent that I can't quite put a finger on it.

Smiling back at her, I shake my head and say, "Nope, totally not." as I start clearing half of the table for her.

"Oh thank you," she place her cup on the table and gently placed her shopping back to the floor. "I know I should've sat elsewhere but I don't want to sit alone. Are you sure you don't mind?"

"Yeah I'm sure." I nod my head, I snap upon realizing that I haven't introduced myself yet. "Uhh.. I'm Natalie, and you are?"

She was a bit shock looking at my extended hand and smile saying, "Oh you must me new here? I'm Allison Pierre. Nice to meet you Natalie."

"You look like celebrity." It's true her presence is really intimidating in a good way.

Allison chuckles, shaking her head. "I'm not, I just love shopping and dressing up." she look at her gold watch, and pout her lips, "I'm waiting for my younger brother to come and fetch me, and he's taking so long, so I decided to have a cup of coffee and I saw you here. You look very familiar to me though that's why I decided to approach you. What brings you to New York?"

"College. Our Town isn't much. I mean we have colleges in their but I don't want to go there." I answer, "And there's somethings in New York that I want to figure out..."

"Like?" She leans in the table, putting her chin above her hand. Like she's really interested to know. "Like what Natalie?"

"Like my dreams." I simply said, it's half the truth, but I can't tell her entirely about it. She'll just think I'm a freak for sure.

"Well that's a bit broad." she inhales and lean back to the chair, "You know my brother can't leave New York because of his nightmares, he dreamt about being killed in here. Weird right? It all started when we were young he was eight, and I was turning twelve. He cries at night saying someone shots him dead." My breathing stops upon hearing her story, how come it's identical to mine? I don't know why, but I kept listening to her, it's like some pieces of her story fits.

"And later on when we were at high school he keeps telling me that he saw a girl in his dreams but her face is a blur. At first, we just laughed at him but it became serious when my brother had a seizure while sleeping, I thought we'd lost him but thankfully he fights for his life and comes back to us. The doctor said he had a sleep paralysis, but he said it’s not, he was dead. That he felt the pain." she continues.

I just sit in there looking at her, if it's true then, I need to see her brother. Maybe he can give me some answers about these dreams.

"Did you figured out what's causing it?" I ask her when I finally find my senses back.

She just shakes her head, "Some say that maybe he reincarnated. He's summarizing my dead grandfather's stories when he was young. Anyway I've been talking too much." she laughs and dialed someone on her phone.

Reincarnation? I've searched about it already, but I didn't believe it. It said that reincarnation is about someone being borned again with a different body after death but how's that so? Brandon looks exactly like the Brandon in my dreams.

"I gotta go my brother already parked outside. " Allison stands up, and picks up her paper bags, "It was nice chatting with you Natalie, by the way if you want to hang out sometimes you can call me. Here." she open up her purse then hand me a small paper which I think is her calling card and left the café.

Out of curiosity, I chase her out and to my surprise it was the guy that I saw under the lamppost the other night. He seems to recognize me either because he waves his hand and walks towards me.

"Hey miss jumpy remember me?" He asks.

I look at Allison and then him, "You're the brother, she's been talking about?"

"What brother? The handsome one? Well maybe." He laughs, "You look more lovely in daylight. I'm Thomas Henry Pierre. I see you had a nice chat with my sister?"

"Yeah, she's nice. Oh! by the way I'm Natalie Brown.

I extended my hand for a handshake, but he holds my hand and kiss the back of it. I don't know why but I don't feel anything not a blush happening on my cheeks. He looks at my I.D. that's attached to my collar and grins.

"Good to know we're going in the same school. See you when I see you Natalie, it's been a pleasure."

I stood the dumbfounded by the door step of the café, clutching my hand closer to my chest. I always saw this on TV and I dreamt of someone kissing the back of my hand like a real gentleman but in Thomas' case it doesn't feel special. Same goes with those previous guys that I tried to date but end up leaving them for not feeling anything at all.

I dismiss that thought out of my mind and went back inside. I may be wrong when I thought Brandon is the answer, it could be Thomas. I sit back to my chair and stay a few more hours at the café still confused about what is going on with my life. Am I really a reincarnation of someone? Oh god.

*****

Is Thomas really the brother Allison is taking about?

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RainTrain29